


Last Touch

by lovesluke (lovesdaryl)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 12:17:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13926999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesdaryl/pseuds/lovesluke





	Last Touch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [treenahasthaal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/treenahasthaal/gifts).



There couldn’t be any doubt that he had changed some of his appearance to fit the occasion and instill a measure of fear and at least a tiny bit of respect in his nephew - her son.

But with him living off the map for years now, completely out of touch with his family and friends, with no sightings ever reported from any corner of the galaxy, she would not for one second believe that the man whom she had first laid eyes on as a shaggy-haired, bright-eyed boy had really taken the time to get a haircut before coming to join the fight.

So, quite apart from his soundless footfalls, she knew it from his appearance before he ever reached her - before his projection ever reached her, before his neat, clean robes gently swayed against her without the soft sigh of fabric, before his hand held out the dice.

What she did feel, aside from the tears burning behind her eyelids, aside from the agony of knowing that this was the last time, their last meeting, the last time she was going to see any physical representation of him, was the gentle touch of his mind against hers, infinitely tender, infinitely careful, infinitely loving.

General Leia Organa felt her brother’s last touch, both spiritual and physical, like a dagger to her heart, but at the same time she was grateful to be given this chance to say good bye - there were too many she had lost who had been ripped from her life without any warning, and without the consolation of one final encounter, of one last word, look, touch.

They had lost so much time - both as children, growing up too far from each other and in circumstances that couldn’t have been more different, and as adults, especially during the last few years while Luke had been pondering his mistake and chastizing himself for it.

Yet although his goal here had already been accomplished outside, although he could have just allowed himself to let go, he knew that leaving without one last look, one last touch, would be too cruel after all the loss she had endured, and he forced himself to hold on, just one more moment, and another, and another …

Luke felt his sister relaxing into his mental presence, taking it in and rejoicing in it this one last time, and he was grateful to be able to do this for her - to give her this, at least, knowing that she deserved more, that she had been through too much already and that this additional loss would cut deep.

Feeling his sorrow and regret for being forced to do this, Leia closed her eyes and allowed herself to relish her brother’s mental presence, his Force signature, his strength, and his love, one last time, for one last touch, and then let go.

After all, she still had a war to fight.

But she knew as she left him behind that he was not really going to leave her - he was going to stay with her through it all, to the end.


End file.
